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For the first time ever, companies that develop and administer IT certification exams are working together to combat a problem that has largely been swept under the rug for years: certification fraud.
A group of IT hardware and software vendors, independent certifying agencies, test centers and others have formed the IT Certification Council (ITCC). The goal is to share knowledge and resources to combat and prevent fraud, which is threatening to undermine the value of IT certification. (See Musthaler's opinion on how cert cheating can ruin your career.)
ITCC chairman Bill Horzempa, who is also director of Global Certification and Partner Education Development for HP, says, "Most of the members of this council have talked privately with one another about the cheating problem. We realized that this isn't just an HP problem, or a Cisco or Microsoft problem. Certification cheating affects the vendors, yes, but it also hurts individual IT professionals and the companies that employ or contract them. In effect, cheating creates a loss of confidence in the ability of the IT profession to solve business problems."
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What is certification fraud? |
Chuck Cooper, ITCC vice chairman and program director, IBM Certification Programs Skills Enablement, Systems and Technology Group, calls certification fraud "an annoying pain that always seems to be there. It's a cloud hanging over us. It doesn't go away on its own."
Indeed, fraud in the IT certification industry is nothing new; the problem has been around for years. However, new techniques for analyzing test scores are making it easier to evaluate the scope of the problem. For example, test security company Caveon estimates that 15% to 25% of IT certification exams show some aberration, which can be an indication of cheating.
Ignoring the problem has only allowed it to get worse. All one has to do is Google the search term "MCSE study aids" and thousands of sites pop up where a student can purchase so-called test preparation materials – most of which are not authorized or recommended by Microsoft, the owner of the MCSE certification.
Partner Content
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Comments (15)
test don't work?By Certified! on September 21, 2008, 1:10 amFirst of let me ask this, would you trust someone with low credit for a loan? no, not really right? well certification exams are more of a stamenet saying "hey!...
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CertificationsBy Certified! on September 21, 2008, 12:59 amFirst, let me say that any instructor stating that might be just being partial, regarding the their way sucks, opinion. Just because someone says something "sucks",...
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IT certification vendorsBy Cerified! on September 20, 2008, 9:17 pmI take it you never looked into security certifications such as CEH, CISSP, GIAC, which all use standards and are very much vendor neutral. Though i won't judge...
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hmmmBy Certified! on September 20, 2008, 9:07 pmthis is in regards to the braindumps 1) you don't kow if they are correct 2) are sometimes given with incorrect answers 3) ou aren't sure wether or not...
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TestBy Anonymous on September 11, 2008, 8:16 pmBlah, Blah, Blah, Even in school they give you study guides and tell you that the test will contain questions from the study guide. High School and College always...
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